Life Then, and Now

May 1 2014

Diane Burton

Its funny how we take things for granted and as we approach the “Golden Years” we hear about family and friends getting sick with various diseases, which we always thought was only an older person’s disease.

Since my heart attack at the age of 54 years – it was "OMG!"- this is a lesson and I had better listen as I have been given a second chance – so no more excuses.

What I have done now:

  1. My husband bought me a FitBit for Christmas – a FitBit tracks your steps (10,000 a day (5 miles) is what is recommended) – so I monitor on a daily basis – I work out first thing in the morning either on the treadmill and then go for walks during lunch – I found breaking it up in small 30 minute intervals worked best for me. The FitBit also tracks my sleep, calories burned and you can add friends to keep each other motivated.
  2. I schedule my gym workouts – I try to add a variety of things such as yoga, pilates/tai chi, cardio/weights, this keeps me motivated and interested.
  3. I read labels for sodium and sugar contents as well as calories on everything I buy.
  4. I have cut-out most processed foods, I make sure I get my five servings of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis, again breaking it up throughout the day i.e. fruit in the morning and snacks, vegetables at lunch and dinner.
  5. I also drink a lot of water.
  6. Since I am exercising more it may not necessarily show on the scale, however, I am loosing inches – especially around the waist/belly area which is crucial. 

I have chosen to live a long healthy life – so it’s up to me to make it happen.